Guard Chaplains Reflect on Floyd Protests, Lessons Learned

ST. PAUL (AP) — After being deployed to the Minnesota streets during demonstrations over racial injustice, chaplains of the state's National Guard are praying for peace but also readying for whenever their next domestic callup may come.

They say they're working on two main lessons learned from tumultuous times: Building bridges within tense communities and bringing faith-grounded calm and comfort to the front lines whenever they may be mobilized again, something that could come as soon as next March when the officers charged in George Floyd's killing go on trial.

Says the state guard's lead chaplain: "It's about relationships … to establish some trust, to de-escalate threats."